Chapter 75.2 Crazy Love Season (End)
The world below was enveloped in a mist of blood-red.
Sealed Coffin Village, as an epitome of feudalism, had witnessed its share of tragic incidents. After the Ghost Gate opened in previous years and the chilly Yin wind swept through, abundant Yin energy gave rise to many monsters. The villagers would attract outsiders into the village, and every July, they would use living humans as sacrifices to appease the lingering resentment of vengeful spirits.
This year, there was a problem with this segment. The roaming monsters in the village didn’t get to feast on the flesh and blood of the living, so they began to borrow the villagers’ life force.
Now, the entire village had plunged into chaos.
Villagers, who were almost like half-living individuals, fled in all directions. Someone spotted a child from afar and quickly pointed, “There’s your offering!”
As they wished, the monsters shifted their focus.
A’Sang was quite pleased. All the food he encountered today was coming to him willingly. Before he started, he saw Big Eye in the blood mist.
He took out a small piece of hollowed bone from his pocket. The bone had been soaked in dark-colored blood. This was the fragment he had extracted, but failed to use for Wen Shi’s revival. Later, he managed to kill a monster and temporarily stored the bone in the monster’s skeleton.
There was no use for this blood child to keep it. Jian Qingrong originally intended to trade with him, just like the blood exchange during the tea party. Unexpectedly, A’Sang directly stuffed the bone into the scarecrow’s arms.
“Take it.” A’Sang smiled, looking at the large group of monsters approaching ahead. “I’ll smash out some brain nuclei later and make them into food for Dad’s zombie.”
The zombie he was referring to was the Wandering Corpses. The Wandering Corpse was currently in a dormant phase, not having finished absorbing the last feeding. Finally encountering the Ghost Procession, A’Sang decided to stock up for him.
The incident where Wen Shi nearly died under the Earl’s scepter had left a shadow on him, prompting him to elevate the strength of the entire family.
The monsters were getting closer and closer. Some individual monsters in the mist noticed that the child wasn’t moving and detected something slightly off. Although it appeared he was moving forward, he was actually slowly retreating in the group, ready to observe the situation.
Not every monster was as clever. A’Sang’s patience had worn thin, and in an instant, he vanished from where he stood.
New sets of small footprints appeared on the wall. The monsters at the forefront instinctively followed the traces, looking ahead. Near the eaves of a nearby house, A’Sang leaped down from above. A swift gust of wind swept through. The child who truly ate ghosts dashed into the crowd of wandering spirits.
The tallest monster at the front bore the brunt, its rotten black blood mixing with colorful brain matter splattering across the ground. It resembled a chaotic oil painting.
Swift and decisive, A’Sang harvested three heads. Before more monsters could close in and encircle him, he retreated first, darting to another location to engage.
…
As A’Sang wreaked havoc in the village, the host asked the crew for paper and pen, preparing to interview Wen Shi to fulfill their agreement.
This time, Wen Shi didn’t evade.
“The current director of Frank Hospital is named A’Ao. He has an iron hook for an arm and takes pleasure in torturing patients. He even deliberately falsifies patients’ mental records,” Wen Shi calmly explained, “The main hospital is situated on the other side of the medieval ocean. If you can truly find it, the last resort is to pose as a patient and infiltrate. Remember to conceal your strength and avoid being sent to the second floor. The higher you go, the more perilous it becomes…”
He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Why aren’t you taking notes?”
“…Oh, oh…” The host quickly grasped the pen, scribbling frantically. When Mirage Landscape was collapsing, he hadn’t completely believed what the other party had said. This special guest was bathed in an overwhelming divine light, although that brilliance was directed towards humanity. The host was well aware of this and was willing to compromise for the sake of his job.
Aware that the new job seemed to involve a risk of putting his life on the line, the host was willing to pay the price if it meant producing a world-renowned report.
Seeing Wen Shi not only bring up the hospital’s dark secrets but also provide a feasible plan left him somewhat bewildered.
Equally perplexed were the players. Faced with so much explosive information, should they listen or not?
Unfortunately, Wen Shi showed no inclination to keep anything hidden. Seated against the coffin’s edge, his complexion remained pale. Cream stains adorned his collar, and his deliberate tone was as if recounting an ordinary tale.
Aside from the host, Zhou Lulu was closest to Wen Shi. For the first time, she realized that the term “personal charisma” wasn’t just a concept but a reality.
The young man’s faint dark circles revealed weariness. Sometimes, he would look down at the skeleton leaning against the coffin’s edge, and other times, he would gaze at the blood moon hanging full in the night sky.
“When encountering a patient, containment is necessary…” He brought up the incident involving using this rule to provoke Director A’Ao and the Earl. “There are many rules in the hospital. Properly utilized, they can maximize your safety.”
Zhou Lulu couldn’t resist asking, “Do all staff members have to abide by the hospital’s rules? Including the director?”
Wen Shi nodded.
The director wouldn’t create obstacles for himself. The rules must have been established by others earlier. Zhou Lulu couldn’t help but sigh. “The person who initially formulated these rules must have wielded great authority.”
In the ancient castle instance, Wen Shi had also expressed similar sentiments. Now, reflecting on it, a sense of destiny suddenly emerged.
He looked at the host. “I’ve pretty much shared the information you can use.”
There was another detail that he didn’t mention.
Throughout the late night, monsters entered the coffins one by one, fleeing for their lives.
The host wore a sympathetic expression. To think that these malevolent spirits had been so plagued by a mere child, the rare night of the Ghost Festival had barely passed, and they were already scurrying back to their lairs.
Wen Shi calmly stated, “It has nothing to do with my kid.”
With the World Shard obtained and the Ghost Gate about to seal once again, these creatures appeared more like they were driven by an invisible force back to the place that held them captive.
The chaotic night ended with the appearance of the morning star.
At daybreak, A’Sang returned to the graveyard with a small bundle on his back. “I-I’m back.”
He handed over the weighty bundle to Wen Shi, containing crystals of various colors, each one meticulously cleaned.
“It’s rations.” In the rosy dawn, A’Sang’s eyes sparkled.
Wen Shi paused for a moment, quickly understanding that it was for the Wandering Corpse. He smiled and patted A’Sang’s head. “You’ve worked hard.”
Perhaps due to the early return of many spirits, today finally wasn’t overcast. The morning sun replaced the blood moon.
The radiant sunlight reminded the scarecrow of the day Wen Shi left Big Factory. It was equally dazzling with hues of dawn, and under that sunlight, Wen Shi decisively turned and walked toward the bus.
Ji Yuanzhi suddenly asked the host, “What was the originally planned ending time for the program on the third day?”
The host: “At twelve noon.”
The night when the Ghost Gate was open was the most dangerous, and there weren’t originally many activities planned for the last day.
Players who had endured the night instantly felt awake. As long as they could hold on for a few more hours, they could escape from this darned romance instance.
A hesitant voice spoke up, “Um, at midnight, I still have a task.”
“……”
Wen Shi: “I promise, there’s no danger this time, just nailing the coffin shut.”
Seeing him so earnest, the players’ apprehension lessened by half.
At midnight, they would seal the coffin. During the day, Wen Shi and Ji Yuanzhi returned to the village to find the chief attendant.
After coming back from Mirage Landscape, the chief attendant had spent a whole night praying fervently to the gods and Buddha, hoping to avoid any further interaction with the outsiders. Who knew that he’d encounter these troublemakers again just a few hours later. His face immediately darkened.
Wen Shi held his sword and got to the point, “Will you hold a funeral?”
The chief attendant: “…I’m in charge of weddings.”
The blade moved forward half an inch. Wen Shi raised an eyebrow. “From great joy to deep sorrow, isn’t it your village’s specialty to turn weddings into funerals ?”
During the Dark Wedding, the chief attendant had witnessed the prowess of this sword. With a mournful face, he said, “I’ll give it a try.”
Ji Yuanzhi turned his head slightly in surprise, looking at Wen Shi, “Are you thinking…”
Wen Shi nodded.
The Ghost Gate was where it all began, and also where his father’s journey ended. Perhaps, this was the most fitting place for his burial.
The chief attendant mentioned the required items. These didn’t need to be arranged by Wen Shi himself. He summoned Uncle Li, the steward of the old mansion, and said, “Get everything ready before midnight.”
Hearing that this inauspicious star would be departing today, Uncle Li considered it as the darkness before dawn. He assured that everything would be taken care of.
The tailor who had crafted Wen Shi’s wedding robe was now measuring and sewing again, but this time it was for mourning attire.
Upon hearing that he was preparing for a funeral of someone close, the tailor reminded, “Normally, family members wear white, but in our village, only black and red are used for important occasions.”
Wen Shi: “Black.”
He asked the tailor to measure A’Sang’s size as well.
The tailor jotted down the measurements. Luckily, there was still plenty of time. If they worked tirelessly, they could produce two sets by evening. Just as she crossed the threshold, she looked up and faced the oddly arranged scarecrow, almost causing her to fling her pen, “What in the world?!”
The mini scarecrow flew to her, silently extending its arms.
The tailor blinked in surprise for a while before understanding the meaning conveyed by the little thing. “You want one too?”
The scarecrow nodded and urged her with its single eye.
Following the principle of “better safe than sorry,” the tailor gave in. After all, it was only a matter of a few centimeters, and it wouldn’t take much time. She took out the measuring tape again and completed the task in three seconds.
“Alright, we’ll send yours along tonight.”
After saying this, she hurried back to her workshop.
The sun rose and set, and amidst the players’ eager anticipation, night finally arrived.
“Where did Pei Wenwei go?” Sun Geng yawned. “We’ve been waiting here all day.”
Just as he was asking, a figure appeared in the distance, dressed in mourning attire, making Sun Geng suppress any hint of levity in his expression.
The tailor held her creations to high standards, and rushing the work didn’t affect the quality.
The mourning attire in Sealed Coffin Village differed from the outside world’s style, featuring wide sleeves and a cinched waist. The upper garment and lower piece were connected, with no other adornments except a character for “longevity” sewn onto the belt.
Ten minutes before midnight, fog reappeared among the mountains. The two coffins, representing the gates of life and death, began to move as if alive, capturing everyone’s attention. With synchronized motion, the coffins moved inward and collided together. At the moment of contact, the side panels vanished, and the two coffins slowly melded into one.
The material of the white jade coffin was similar to Wen Shi’s amulet. It emitted contradictory auras of purity and ominousness simultaneously.
As it transformed into a single coffin, these two conflicting auras swirled around each end, generating a chilling breeze that swept over the entire hilltop.
Players felt a bone-deep chill and instinctively raised their collars, blowing into their palms for warmth.
Wen Shi released A’Sang’s hand, placed the World Shard back into the skeleton hand, and closed it. He then lifted the skeletal remains and laid them in the coffin.
Sun Geng: “He’s going to bury him in…”
Ji Yuanzhi: “Lend a hand.”
The others belatedly realized and rallied together, lifting the chilly and heavy coffin lid. Carefully aligning it with the coffin, they lowered it down seamlessly.
Around the same time, the chief attendant arrived in a rush, carrying various items. He arranged floral wreaths and elegiac couplets, while adhering to Sealed Coffin Village’s customs, lighting three circles of white candles around the area.
Single-handedly managing everything, he started scattering paper money into the air, chanting repeatedly, “May the living remember, and the departed rest.”
Wen Shi stood quietly to the side, timing it right to take out the long nails and small hammer provided by the game. The crystal nails, originally fragile, automatically sank into the jade surface upon contact. With almost no effort, he wedged them all the way in.
One nail, two nails… Without pause or hesitation, as the stroke of midnight arrived, Wen Shi drove the final nail into the coffin lid.
For some unknown reason, the chief attendant suddenly shouted uncontrollably, his voice strained, “The coffin is sealed—”
Those last words reverberated through the graveyard-laden hills, lingering long afterward.
In the background, A’Sang set down the bowl and, together with the scarecrow, bowed respectfully.
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